Photochemical ring opening of tricyclic hemiketals: Diastereoselective construction of functionalized medium-sized carbocycles and a diquinane

A facile stereoselective construction of functionalized medium-sized carbocycles and a diquinane from bicyclo[3.n.1]alkanones is reported. The key step is the hypervalent iodine mediated photochemical ring opening of tricyclic hemiketals, formed by dihydroxylation of methylene-bicyclo[3.3.1]nonan-9-one and methylene-bicyclo[3.2.1]octan-8-one, to afford eight- and seven-membered carbocyclic rings, respectively. Subsequent transformation of the cyclooctane into a diquinane was achieved using LDA. The reaction was also extended to the synthesis of a fused bicylic system.